Opinion

Opinion

OPINION: WTF is going on with JD Vance?

Addison Fulton | October 2

It was the donut order heard ‘round the world: On Aug. 22, JD Vance arrived at a donut shop in Valdosta, Georgia. He placed his order in the strangest manner imaginable — at one point ordering “whatever makes sense.” His behavior immediately became the topic of internet ridicule. But it got me curious. Who is Vance, and why is he so weird? So, I decided to go straight to the source. In 2016, Vance published his memoir “Hillbilly Elegy.” I thought if anything was going to help me make sense of this man, it’d be his book. I steeled my nerves and read it.

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Opinion

OPINION: University Stadium needs a spiffier name

Addison Fulton | September 30

The football stadium at the University of New Mexico is located at 1111 University Blvd. It seats 39,224. Why do I tell you this? It’s to distinguish University Stadium from the countless other stadiums associated with universities, because the name isn’t doing that for me. I start this by confessing that I don’t know a lot about sports. I’ve tried, at several points, to get into basketball, baseball or football, just for the sake of school spirit. No avail. All too often, I find sports confusing at best and boring at worst. That said, I know about entertainment. I love wow-factor and branding. And, despite my difficulty getting into sports, I have always loved the iconography around UNM sports.

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Opinion

OPINION: Tim Walz: America’s wholesome dad?

Shin Thant Hlaing | August 16

According to the internet, Kamala Harris is “brat” and Tim Walz is “Midwest Princess,” both references to artists who have had meteoric successes in 2024: Charli XCX and Chappell Roan, respectively. Harris selected Minnesota Gov. Walz as her running mate in the 2024 presidential race on Tuesday, Aug. 6. Walz’s experience as governor, midwestern appeal, chemistry with Harris, social media energy and more help explain why Harris chose him and what he brings to the table policy-wise.

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Opinion

OPINION: ‘Kamalanomenon’: Is hope possible?

Addison Fulton | August 12

As of Aug. 11, TikTok account @kamalahq has over 3 million followers, which is no small feat. But it’s not that many people for the account of a public figure like a politician. What makes Kamala HQ different is that it’s an account dedicated to memes. And it seems to be helping her campaign. “Cool factor” and vibes may prove essential this November. As Sam Wolfson of the Guardian wrote, “Trump was almost assassinated by a sniper, but what resonated was how cool he looked in AP photos afterwards. Kamala Harris became the first Democratic nominee in modern times not to go through a primary process, but what really landed was Charli xcx tweeting ‘Kamala is brat.’”

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Opinion

REVIEW: ‘Twisters’ is a disaster film in all the right ways

Maria Fernandez | July 26

Have you heard about the newest tornado movie? Here’s a spoiler: There’s a big twist at the end. “Twisters” — a sequel to director Jan de Bont’s 1996 film “Twister,” starring Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt — hit theaters on Friday, July 19. The new “Twisters” has been popping up on screens and its soundtrack has been playing nonstop on radios for the last couple of months. And while I admittedly had not seen the original “Twister” film before making my way to the theater on the sequel’s opening night, I knew it was a film I couldn’t miss.

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Opinion

OPINION: Crybabies and candles

Addison Fulton | July 19

On June 18, singer-songwriter Melanie Martinez released a line of 13 scented candles, each corresponding with a song from her most recent album, “Portals.” Each candle cost a whopping $75 before taxes, shipping and handling, and are now all sold out. The candles come in 4.3-ounce, roughly palm-sized, cracked egg-shaped jars with matching lids to complete the eggs. The scents are relatively unique, with candles featuring smells such as peach skin and marshmallow; yuzu and caramel; and fig with toasted coconut. Many fans questioned or complained about the high price tag, while some defended Martinez’s pricing. Some purchased the candles and were happy with them.

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Opinion

OPINION: UNM should increase intercollegiate fellowship programs

Shin Thant Hlaing | July 5

As a current participant in an intercollegiate fellowship at the University of New Mexico, I would like to see UNM more involved in similar programs for undergraduate students — either at neighboring institutions or beyond. I am participating in the Emerging Security Studies Fellowship, hosted by Emory University,  funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and involving students from Georgia State University and UNM. The fellowship is a paid learning experience that involves six weeks of classes and a remote internship.

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Opinion

OPINION: Box office bombshell

Addison Fulton | June 26

On July 21, 2023, there was an explosion at the box office. Two highly anticipated films, Greta Gerwig’s hot pink daydream “Barbie,” and Christopher Nolan’s gritty wartime biopic, “Oppenheimer,” were released on the same day. While films frequently share release dates without anyone noticing, the contrast between the aesthetics of these two made them an instant source of amusement. People passed around memes with fake “Barbenheimer” electoral maps and promotion campaigns, comparisons to friends with opposite aesthetics and jokes about the juxtaposition.

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Opinion

OPINION: The Grand Canyon through the eyes of a Daily Lobo photographer

Maria Fernandez | June 14

When I hit the road to Arizona to visit the Grand Canyon National Park last month, I had one question on my mind: Is the Grand Canyon just as magical as people say? Most people can attest that often stories they hear about popular places can sound much grander than how they are in reality. I was curious if a landmark like the Grand Canyon, deemed one of the “Seven Wonders of the World,” would live up to the hype.

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Opinion

OPINION: Vice presidents and virtues

Addison Fulton | June 14

Heading into the 2024 presidential election in November, candidate and former president Donald Trump must choose a running mate. He will likely make a selection at or before the Republican National Convention, which begins July 15. Not only will Trump decide who would run the nation in the event of his death, resignation or impeachment, but the vice presidential nominee can also increase or decrease voter support. For instance, current President Joe Biden’s choice to nominate Kamala Harris gained him support from democratic voters, Black voters and voters under the age of 35, according to a 2020 Politico study.

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Opinion

OPINION: Activities to help curb summertime boredom in Albuquerque

Arly Garcia | June 12

Summer is, for many people, the best part of the year. It offers a respite from our chaotic university lives. Research articles and 8 a.m. classes have no place here unless we want them to. Summer provides time for freedom – sometimes a little too much. If you’re anything like me, then you may begin to grow a little stir crazy after the first few weeks of summer. When that happens, it is imperative to get out and find something to occupy your time. What that something is varies widely depending on your preferences, but here are some of my favorites.

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Opinion

OPINION: Campus protest coverage is impossible without student journalists

Lily Alexander | May 13

Somewhere between 3 and 4 a.m. on April 30, a rapid series of dings from my phone awoke me suddenly. I was immediately alert – I knew what this meant. A couple of hours earlier when I resigned myself to the necessity of sleep, I turned up my ringtone to full volume. This way, I would hear notifications from my group chat with Daily Lobo reporters Paloma Chapa, Leila Chapa, Ella Daniel and outgoing editor-in-chief Maddie Pukite. If anything drastic happened while the reporters were barricaded inside the Student Union Building, covering its occupation by pro-Palestine protesters, I would be aware and ready to drive to the University of New Mexico to pick them up.

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Opinion

Opinion: Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ sings to the soul

Elizabeth Secor | April 29

Taylor Swift’s newest album, “The Tortured Poets Department” offers listeners a unique blend of rich storytelling, lyrically reminiscent of her previous works like “Folklore” and “Evermore,” with a touch of synth-pop akin to “Midnights.” I enjoyed the album, though I wish there had been more variety in the music as many of the songs had similar ambience and instrumentals. The lyrics made each song stand out, but they had to be listened to closely to stand out among the 31 songs released.

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Opinion

Opinion: The Coachella story – Sales, Drugs and Rock and Roll

Addison Fulton | April 29

In 1993, the band Pearl Jam was truly in a jam. They wanted to boycott venues controlled by Ticketmaster because of a dispute over unnecessary charges attached to ticket sales,  according to the New Yorker. The band needed to find a new place to play, and they landed in a desert valley in Indio, California at the Empire Polo Club. “You gotta run pretty far to get some space for yourself these days,” Eddie Vedder, singer and frontman, said to the crowd, according to the LA Times. The Pearl Jam show was a smash hit and proved the venue could be a great location and a thrilling experience. It inspired Paul Tollett, who also founded the Goldenvoice Music Company, to start an annual alt-rock music festival in 1999. He named the festival after that valley where people had run to find a space for themselves – Coachella.

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Opinion

Ask the editors: How do you take care of your mental health while working in journalism?

Lily Alexander , Kelsa Mendoza and Paloma Chapa | April 22

For the mental health special issue, three Daily Lobo editors took a moment to reflect on how we take care of our mental health while working in journalism – a fast-paced and often heavy field.

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Opinion

Opinion: Our professors should play music during exams

Arly Garcia | April 22

When discussing mental health at the university level, there is one topic that consistently comes up: test anxiety. Numerous studies have shown that test anxiety negatively affects college students, but how do we combat it? Maybe with the magic of music. About 25-40% of U.S. students suffer from test anxiety and for 10-35% of college students, it impairs their function, according to a study on test anxiety published in Advances in Medical Education and Practice. Music has been proven useful in calming the mind and body in other areas, so why don’t we use it at the University of New Mexico too?

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Opinion

5 and Why: 5 ways to destress in college

Elizabeth Secor | April 22

After three years of college, I have discovered ways to destress when life gets overwhelming. I am by no means a professional, but here is what I practice. 

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Opinion

Letter: New Mexicans have more to be thankful for this Tax Day By: Paige Knight

Paige Knight | April 15

This Tax Day, we all have much to be thankful for as we consider the bounty of public goods and services that are made possible with our tax dollars. These include a school system that offers a free education to every child, the roads and other transportation infrastructure that make it possible for us to move about our cities and state, the first responders who keep our communities safe, no or low-cost health care coverage for a majority of New Mexicans, our plentiful parks, libraries, museums and so much more.

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Opinion

Opinion: No Labels: The scam that keeps on scamming

Nate Bernard | April 8

Many Americans are exhausted from our two political giants, Democrats and Republicans. Their divisiveness inflames and divides us every four years. A substantial 63% of Americans believe “a third party is needed” because the Republican and Democratic parties do “such a poor job,” according to a September 2023 Gallup Poll. While party diversity within our government would be ideal as it gives greater representation to those with differing opinions, Americans must treat third-parties with the same seriousness as our major parties and must not vote for third-party candidates based solely on their outsider status.

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Opinion

Opinion: The Clippers need to move

Rodney Prunty | April 8

When the Los Angeles Clippers acquired NBA superstars, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, this was seen as a great move for them and would surely guarantee a long future of success both in the league and in their city. The recruitment of their newest additions was also to compete with their cross town rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers, after they acquired Anthony Davis to pair with Lebron James. All of this happened back in 2019, and since then, the Clippers have been falling short, the franchise has been shrouded in mediocrity and, all the while, the Lakers won an NBA Championship.